The rumor mill is in high gear, saying that AC/DC may not be back at all this year, or any year, reports Billboard.

Currently, the rockers are back home in Australia and founding member Malcolm Young, 61, is with his family. "He is believed to be unable to continue playing, although there has not been any explanation why," reports The Sydney Herald.

"The suggestion is being put to me that tour will never happen and we will never see AC/DC perform again or record again," entertainment commentator Peter Ford revealed in an interview with radio station 3AW on Tuesday morning. His interview launched speculation that one of the band members is terminally ill and because of that, the band will hang up its long-running career. They have a pact that, should one of them have to leave the band, no replacements would ever be made.

A person, who went by the name Thunderstruck, started the rumors via e-mail to 6PR. ''My information is that Malcolm Young has moved himself and his family back to Australia, he's very very ill and that AC/DC may well be history,'' Thunderstruck told 6PR on Tuesday morning. ''I have extremely good contacts in Europe that are very close to AC/DC. I have it on very good authority that one of the band members is quite ill and has returned to Australia with his family."

Earlier this year, however, Brian Johnson, said that the band is heading back to the studio to record new material in May and that they may go on tour in celebration of their 40-year anniversary.

No statements or explanations have been released from the band's label Alberts and sources close to the band have told Billboard that, so far, the rumors are just rumors.